Brain injury prediction for vulnerable road users in vehicle accidents using mathematical models

Paper in proceeding, 2010

The objective was to analyze the brain tissue responses and predict head-brain injuries. Accident reconstructions were carried out by using MBS and FE models based on real-life accident investigation. Thirty cases of VRUs accidents were selected from IVAC and GIDAS databases for simulation study. The brain injury parameters were calculated in terms of coup/countercoup pressure, von Mises and maximum shear stresses at the cerebrum, the callosum, the cerebellum and the brain stem. The correlation of calculated parameters was determined with injury codes observed in accident data. The results indicated that peak coup/countercoup pressures often occur at the cerebrum, while von Mises and maximum shear stresses are both concentrated at the upper end of the brain stem. Physical parameters employed in this study are capable of predicting brain injuries. © 2010 International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering.